St. Johns: Florida's Great Escape

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

It is hard to say one truly knows Florida without experiencing an occasional excursion on the liquid artery that cuts through its center and spills out into the Atlantic Ocean near Jacksonville.

Along Seminole and Volusia counties, the St. Johns River opens to easy navigation, and wildlife gathers overhead and along the shore in more obvious presentations.

It's a neighborly width that ties tree line to tree line in easy sight.

Heading north out of Lake George on the river, the town of Welaka peeks out from the lush tree line of the eastern shore. The river bluffs are now high and regal, and the width nearly doubles in size during its meander through Lake and Volusia counties.

After the sharp turn into Palatka, the river widens even more and loses its shore-to-shore neighborly feel. But for boaters it's still a welcome passage of adventure and fun.